The present invention relates to a femoral spacer for positioning a femoral prosthesis within the intramedullary canal of a bone, and the method of use of the spacer. More particularly, the invention relates to a device wherein the proximal portion of the femoral prosthesis is substantially centered within the intramedullary canal.
Current methods which are used to center the proximal portion of a femoral prosthesis include substantial surgical skill and judgment. However, the major difficulty in relying on surgical judgment is its inexact nature, leading to inconsistent results over a number of such operations. There is a need to locate the prosthesis positively and consistently in a substantially centered position within the canal, because location of the prosthesis in the intramedullary canal is critical to the longevity of hip replacement. If the prosthesis is not positioned in a substantially centered position, the prosthesis can cause abnormal and detrimental stress to the cement mantle thereby leading to failure of the prosthesis and the need for a revision of the prosthetic hip.